If somebody said you could pick the Ballon d’Or winner for your World Cup final team, you’d think ‘good idea’, right?
When you say it like that, it sounds like a no-brainer.
One of the best players in the world would walk into any team in normal circumstances.
But three or four weeks into a World Cup isn’t normal circumstances.
There has been talk that Karim Benzema is fit again and, since France didn’t replace him when he pulled out with an injury before the competition started, there’s nothing to stop him being involved on Sunday for the big game against Argentina.
It’s quite the risk/reward dilemma!
For me, the risks outweigh the possible reward.
I know from being at four Olympic Games that tournament rhythm is a huge thing.
That group of French players will have got used to each other, their surroundings and to winning.
Even when you’re speaking about a great player like Benzema, you don’t know what standard he’s going to be at when he’s chucked into the deep end.
Throwing a wildcard into the mix just isn’t worth the gamble.
If France were big underdogs, then maybe. But they’re the favourites.
Real Madrid has given Karim Benzema permission to travel back to Qatar 😮🇫🇷
Full story in the replies ⬇ pic.twitter.com/WQZps28n3M
— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) December 14, 2022
Even having Benzema back in the camp and named as a substitute has a potential to disrupt things.
I’d be amazed if it happened.
A far more likely scenario is that the manager, Didier Deschamps, is thinking about the psychological aspect of the build-up to the weekend.
He’ll know that giving a non-committal ‘I don’t want to answer’ reaction to being asked about Benzema will be a big talking point and will potentially get the opposition manager and players wondering whether he’ll do it or not.
The mind games have begun!
It will be interesting to see how two of my old team-mates get on as a new mixed doubles partnership.
Hailey Duff and Bobby Lammie are taking part in their first competition this week, a Euro Super Series even on home ice at Stirling.
Given time, I can see it being a solid combination.
Bobby is such a strong curler, and has the type of personality that would help make any team a good one.
You certainly want to be playing with him at golf because he hits it as far as the pros!
We were the world champions earlier this year and I really enjoyed playing alongside him.
Hailey hasn’t played a lot of mixed doubles but she covers all the bases.
She’s skipped, played third and was our lead in Beijing.
Mixed requires a bit of everything. You need all the shots in your locker.
Hailey has won European and Olympic gold, she’s young and will see the opportunity she’s got to make a success of this new partnership.
I can definitely see why British Curling have put them together.
Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds are clearly the number one team at the moment but myself and Bobby brought the best out of them and vice versa.
There’s Grant Hardie and Gina Aitken as well.
The more strong teams we’ve got, the better.
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